I have just been reading your article on the function of the immune system
and some of the follow-ups. Its certainly a very interesting viewpoint.
Throughout the study of immunology there has always appeared to be 'grey
areas' which subsequently form the frontiers of further understanding. The
interpretation of phenomena must, by necessity involve good communication
and philosophical thought. For instance it would be impossible to study a
subject as complex as immunology without the cooperation of a large number
of people, each highly specialised in their own area. It is needed, from
time to time, for someone to stop and take note of all the current standings
and theories and present a model of the whole system by drawing from these.
Such a model would have to be presentable, not only to the various
specialists, but also to anyone with a working knowledge of the field and
any reasoning individual. I think that this article is a very good attempt
at doing so. Without wishing to ramble too much (or am I), I have a few
points:-
firstly, one important point only touched upon is the relationship between
'immunology' and the whole functioning organism. For instance, the response
to danger or damage (and thus potential danger) is mediated not just by APCs
and macrophages etc, but also directly by factors released by nerve cells as
a reflex action and blood proteins, and indirectly sometimes by the acute
phase response. There is also a hormonal involvement, and some of these may
be controlled, in turn, by the products of a response (eg IL6 on the
hypothalamus). As such other pathways, factors, mechanisms should not be
ruled out (or ignored) as possibly contributing to the outcome of a
response. ( ie. a cell may become active in vivo if signal 1 and 2 were
present, but only if factors 1 and 2 were also present and 3 was not, and
factor 4 was in the right concentration or and factor 5 was in the correct
orientation!).
Secondly, the contribution of evolution to the existance and mechanisms
of immunology has been raised. The concept of evolution is probably one of
the most thought provoking areas. I don't wish to argue any semantics on
what has happened in the past, but I must say that I don't think we as a
race are by any means evolutionary static. There may not be some of the
(evolutionary) pressures that there have been, but we (and thus the immune
system) are still evolving. I dispute the fact that it would be futile to
investigate such a system. We may not be so close to understanding precisely
how it works and may not do so in our respective lifetimes, but the closer
we get to understanding our sytems, the closer anyone in the future will be
to understanding theirs. (you know, we owe it to our children's children
etc....)
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^ p.norman at umds.ac.uk ^ * Wibble wibble pfing,lobster. *
^ Doomgod ^ * *
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